Pots
by Emmeebee
Summary: Zelda and her father are holding court in Hyrule Town when a woman starts screaming for the guards to help her apprehend someone who broke into her house and smashed up her pots. The young princess feels that the perpetrator is strangely familiar, but she can't quite put her finger on why that is.


A/N: This was going to be the second chapter of Not So Heroic, but it didn't fit in with the mood or the focus I was going for there, so I thought I'd put it up separately.

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Zelda smiled courteously at the townsperson as he bent over her outstretched hand and placed a quick kiss on the exposed flesh. While the pomp and circumstance surrounding tours of the village seemed unnecessary and gratuitous, she took great pleasure in getting to know the people under her family's jurisdiction. One could not adequately rule a population one did not understand, after all, and her own private research in the castle's abundant library had implied that a personal approach to ruling also had an array of other benefits.

"P-Princess Zelda," the man stuttered when he had straightened up and let her hand fall back to her side, "it is an honour to m-meet you."

"It might be your honour, but it's my pleasure," the child replied amiably. She almost frowned in consternation when she realised that it might have come across a little more arrogant than she'd intended, but he seemed to take it well, if his facial expressions were anything to go by.

"Well, that's a-awfully sweet of you. My daughter l-loves – "

"YOU LITTLE RAT!" a voice screamed, drowning out the rest of his sentence. "SOMEBODY CATCH HIM!"

Two of the guards in the royal family's entourage darted off in the direction of the noise as the rest of them closed in on the king and his daughter in case the troublemaker intended to come after either of them. Zelda's father reached her side within seconds. Not wanting to indulge in unnecessary theatrics, the young princess merely smiled at him before they both, safe in the knowledge that their bodyguards would protect them, turned back to the man.

"Your Majesty," he bowed; when he straightened up once again, he looked even more awestruck.

Alas, it didn't seem to be his lucky day. Before he could continue with his original comment, the sounds of approaching shouting and clambering rang out over the crowded courtyard. A small blond-haired boy in a green tunic sprinted towards them before, noticing the crowd, coming to a halt and looking around frantically. One of the townswomen stepped forward and started to herd him back towards the guards, and all of the nearby villagers – some with poorly hidden glances back at the royal family – quickly joined her.

Within moments, the guards had him in their grasp, holding his wriggling form between them to keep him secure.

"Bring him here," the king ordered. "We shall hear the details of this matter."

The boy struggled as fiercely as a wildebeest, but he was no match for his older and stronger opponents, who quickly brought him before the gathering. One of the guards beckoned to an older lady who was standing back at the edge of the crowd, and she dutifully made her way towards them.

"What is the matter, my lady?"

The woman blushed at the unwarranted courtesy and said, "I was having supper when I heard a dreadful smashing sound. It scared me half to death! When I turned around, I saw this boy standing over the shards of the pots my late husband and I bought when we first got married. The sight alone made me wail, but then I saw that the boy had his sword out, and I was so sure he was going to kill me, see, so I screamed, and he ran. I gave chase as fast as I could, but I knew I was no match for him, so I called out for help."

Zelda examined the boy. He looked to be about her age, perhaps a year or two younger. Dirt and mud coated his boots and streaked his hair and clothes. Yet, despite his unkempt appearance, something about him seemed strangely familiar. She couldn't quite put her finger on it, though. Although Zelda would have usually been intrigued by the proceedings, seeking to learn as much as she could from witnessing her father deliberate a ruling, she couldn't tear her thoughts away from this strange boy.

"I didn't mean to do anything wrong," he blurted out, and the sudden noise almost made her jump. "I'm not from here; I'm from – " His voice cut off, and he looked about awkwardly before continuing, "I'm from somewhere far away. There, we can enter and leave different houses as we please, and almost everything is shared. Things must be different here. I – I didn't know."

Was he the boy from her dream? Zelda tilted her head to the side as she surveyed him, trying to picture him with a shining green stone. _He could be,_ she supposed, _but, then again, anyone could be in the right lighting. And I got the sense that the boy would be a harbinger for justice and a person of courage, but this boy is almost certainly lying, and lying to cover up a crime is neither just nor courageous._

One of the guards scoffed before sheepishly glancing at the king as he stood to attention.

"You don't believe him?" Zelda's father asked, openly ignoring the breach of protocol.

"I don't, Your Majesty," he replied. "No Hyrulean town or village works like that."

"What would you do, my dear?" the king asked, looking down at his daughter.

She frowned at the petite figure. Even though the boy clearly wasn't the one foretold in her dreams, something within her was still drawn to him, and it was compromising her ability to look at the situation logically. She did her best to push it out of her mind, and then, after a few moments, said, "I would want more information. If he's really from somewhere like Kakariko Village, he should be punished for the crimes of trespassing and property damage. If he's telling the truth, it would be more appropriate to educate him about our ways. If he's from somewhere outside of Hyrule…" She let her voice trail off, telling her father without words that her thoughts had also gone to the fact that there were people outside of Hyrule who would be willing to send a child to spy for them if they thought it would get them past the country's defences. "I would investigate the matter further, but I would imprison him in the meantime."

A proud expression crossed her father's face as he nodded in agreement. "Take him to a cell," he told the guards. "Smith, you're in charge of investigating his claims. Don't abuse him, but don't let him go, either."

Zelda watched as the protesting boy was hauled towards the castle. When he was out of sight, she turned back to the townsperson. Her mind was still convinced that something wasn't quite right about the scenario, but she forced it from her mind as she beamed at the man and asked him if he would mind if they tried again. "Third time lucky," she joked with feigned light-heartedness.


End file.
